"the moth's apprentice" chat noir x y/n

Luka

When I was younger, my mom and I had this tradition where I'd open one present before Christmas morning — and it was always pajamas. Each year, I knew what to expect, though I always faked surprise. While the surprise was fake, I never had to feign happiness. 

When you know what to expect, you'll never be surprised, but you'll never be disappointed. 

Predictability used to be my best friend. Now it's more like a long distance pen pal who writes to me once in a blue moon. 

It's funny, how those old traditions die as you get older. Sometimes, they become new traditions, but sometimes, they flicker out like an old candle. 

Reliving those days in my head felt like a dream. Before Seth, and before Hawkmoth, there was a time when I was happy. It was just the two of us, and we were on our own cloud. Our own wavelength. 

Dreams die hard. 

I woke up abruptly from my dream.

 In the middle of a class lecture. On the floor. Spread eagled in the aisle of the classroom. Marinette was standing over me, shaking me. My eyes slowly adjusted to the harsh lighting and her face came into focus. 

Alya was standing next to her, and they both had identical expressions of concern on their faces. I snapped into awake-mode as the surreality wore off and I remembered where I had just come from. It took everything in my being not to shout it out to the world. I remembered what Bunnix had told me about knowledge, and clamped my mouth shut. 

"Y/N? Are you okay?" The rest of the class was gathered around me as well, and I could see all their faces clearly. Almost as clear as my embarrassment, which was starting to reveal itself in my flaming cheeks. 

But fuck was I glad to see people. 

"Need some water down there?" Adrien Agreste, his usual self, smirking down at me from over the desk. A picture of Chat Blanc flashed in my head and I inhaled sharply, scooting back from him instinctually. 

Adrien's face fell slightly with confusion as I stared at him with a look of what I knew must've been pure fear. 

"Y—you're — you're..." I trailed off, staring up at my classmates' familiar faces. "I'm sorry," I stood up slowly, the dizziness hitting me. Marinette and Alya supported me on either side. 

"What's wrong?" Marinette whispered in my ear as she tucked her arm under mine. 

I just shook my head in response, unable to speak. 

"We're just going to take Y/N to the nurse's office," Alya said waving at the teacher. Ms. Mendeleev nodded understandingly. 

"Get better, Y/N," the ways she said it felt like more of a reprimand than a gesture of kindness, but she smiled tightly through her purple lips. "We hope to see you well again soon." 

I met Adrien's eyes one last time before I left. His lips were parted slightly — the gentle curves of his face creased with concern. How glad I was to see his green eyes could not be described in words. I glanced down at his hands, where he was fidgeting with the silver ring on his finger. 

Almost instinctively, I reached up to feel for the necklace that was usually around my neck. It was gone. Then, I stared up at the date on the board. 

It was way before I got my Miraculous from Hawkmoth.  Before the day that started it all. Come to think of it, it was before Seth arrived. 

"Mari," I gasped, feeling my legs buckle. "Oh, god I think I'm going to be sick." 

We reached the bathroom just in time and I felt whatever food was still in my stomach leave my body. (Dios mio, don't worry she's not pregnant).

I coughed, spluttering over the toilet. 

"What's going on with you, girl?" Alya asked me, her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sick or something?" 

No — I just came back from the future and it's shit, by the way. 

"Nothing," I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, standing up slowly. A wave of dizziness passed over me, but I ignored it, leaning over the sink. I sipped some water slowly, getting rid of the acidy taste in my mouth. "I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you." 

Marinette had her arms crossed and a curious expression on her face. "I don't buy that at all, Y/N. You look like you've seen a fucking ghost." 

"Something like that," I muttered, tucking my hair behind my ears. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I definitely looked like shit. "I think I need to go home." 

"Yeah, for sure," Marinette looped her arm through one of mine, and Alya took the other side. 

"Maybe Luka will take you," Alya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. A thumping feeling in my chest increased. 

Luka. 

"Luka?" I questioned. "What?" 

"You two have been pretty close recently," Marinette added, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't you remember?" 

We walked out of the bathroom, into the quiet hallway. My footsteps felt like lead on the pale floor. 

"Of course I remember," I grimaced. "It's just that my head is pounding, and I don't want to think at all about Luka Couffaine." 

"I hope that's not true," A familiar voice spoke behind me. Speak of the devil. 

I wheeled around to see exactly who I expected to. I hadn't seen him or spoken to him since we broke up — or... I guess that hadn't happened yet. 

"Luka," I blinked at him. Same old Luka. 

Romantically alternative. 

His blue hair was swept over his face, in slight waves that curled appealingly. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he grinned in his usual calm way. 

"You want a ride?" He raised his eyebrows. 

Marinette nudged me towards him. "C'mon Y/N, neither of us have our license and you have to get home somehow." 

"Okay," I sighed. This couldn't possibly hurt the timeline, and I needed to get home fast, before I passed out again, or did something even more embarrassing. "Thanks." 

"No problem at all, love," Luka spun his keys around on his finger. I smiled weakly, almost in spite of my head screaming at me. The corner of his mouth turned up. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you." 

Marinette and Alya giggled to themselves as we walked out of the door. 

For once, I didn't doubt that he would take care of me. 

In fact, it sounded kind of nice to let someone take the reins, instead of me carrying the yarn.